The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Police Department is recruiting applicants for our open Police Officer positions. If any of your Criminal Justice students are interested in a law enforcement career in Texas, we welcome them to email us, call us, or join one of our virtual recruiting events. Alternatively, we welcome the opportunity to conduct a virtual recruiting session specifically for University of Maryland students. Additionally, your students can visit our website for the following information:
If there is sufficient interest, we will travel to Maryland to conduct the entrance exam and interview panel there locally. We are accepting applications now from those interested in attending the exam in Maryland.
Compensation:
The starting salary for applicants without a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement ("TCOLE") peace officer license is $70,000.
Out of state, federal, and military police officers can become a licensed Texas police officer without having to repeat the police academy and there is no maximum age limit. Click here for Texas police officer licensing information for out of state, federal, and military police officers (which includes links to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement’s application form and website). The starting salary for TCOLE licensed peace officers is based on years of eligible law enforcement experience, as detailed in our pay scale.
Additionally, we are currently offering a signing bonus of $5,000 for new Police Officers, which will be paid in two installments. The first installment of $2,500 will be paid on the first paycheck upon being hired and the second installment of $2,500 will be paid upon completion of field training.
Texas police officers are eligible for free college tuition for undergraduate criminal justice classes. Additionally, DART provides up to $2,500 tuition reimbursement per year for classes required in a degree plan related to the employee’s job duties. Therefore, students who are hired as DART officers may continue their studies online at the University of Maryland.
Given the large size of the entire agency, DART offers a generous benefits package that includes: multiple affordable health insurance options, as well as dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance, four retirement plans (defined contribution plan, two 401k plans, and 457b plan), paid time off that increases with seniority, paid holidays, full uniform provided, all required equipment provided (including service weapon), military leave, among many other benefits.
DART offers relocation reimbursement to out of town applicants. The reimbursement amount is based on the relocation distance, which for the Maryland area would be $1,200.
Department Information:
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the mass transit agency for the Dallas metropolitan area and employs almost 4,000 personnel serving over 50 million riders annually. The DART Police Department provides police services for the transportation system throughout 13 cities in 6 counties, covering over 700 square miles. The department has 429 positions, which are comprised of 252 sworn officers and 177 civilian employees. As a medium sized police department, each officer is a valued team member and our officers personally know each other, which leads to a heightened level of support and camaraderie.
Given the size of the department, DART Police offers a wide variety of special assignments, such as canine handlers, detectives, motorcycle officers, special operations officers, crisis intervention teams, training officers, and background investigators.
The DART Police Department also offers career advancement opportunities due to growth related to planned rail expansion over the next few years. The new silver line is scheduled to open in early 2025 and the D2 subway is scheduled to open in 2030. DART Officers are eligible for promotion after two years of service as a sworn officer.
Hiring Process:
The position is currently posted and we only accept applications through our website. We accept applications from experienced and non-experienced applicants:
Applicants with no law enforcement experience will be required to attend and complete the police academy used by DART. DART sends cadets (and pays the tuition costs) to the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Police Academy in Arlington. The police academy is 22-23 weeks long and we pay an annualized salary of $70,000 while cadets are attending the academy. (For more information about the police academy, please visit their website.) While attending the police academy, cadets live in their own housing; there are no dorms or barracks at the police academy. DART Police provides all required equipment to our cadets, to include service weapon and ammunition.
Applicants with a TCOLE peace officer license are not required to attend the police academy. Instead, they must only complete the field training program. Out of state police officers, Federal officers, and military police officers may become TCOLE licensed peace officers without repeating the police academy. Information about this process is available on our website.
If there isn't sufficient interest for us to conduct the entrance exam and interview panel in Maryland, we offer out of town applicants the opportunity to attend the entrance exam, interview board, and polygraph exam in Dallas all on the same day, to minimize the number of trips they will have to make to Dallas. Then near the end of the process, we will schedule the interview with the Chief of Police, the medical exam/drug test, the psychological evaluation, and the fingerprinting appointments all on the same day. This will require applicants to make two trips to Dallas, and the second trip can also serve as a house hunting visit. Both of these trips are at the expense of the applicant.
Dallas / Texas information:
There is no state income tax and no state property tax in Texas. Additionally, the cost of living index for Dallas is approximately 4% less than the national average. A DART Police Officer's salary (without overtime) can easily qualify for a mortgage on a 1,500+ square foot house in a desirable neighborhood with good schools.
While the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the U.S., it is also among the least densely populated major metropolitan areas in the world. The Dallas metro area has been ranked among the seven most livable urban complexes in the world.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is a strong advocate of law enforcement and has enacted laws to protect police funding in communities across the state, as well as provide additional benefits to law enforcement officers. Additionally, most Texans are supportive of law enforcement. According to a recent statewide poll, 72% of Texans have a favorable opinion of local law enforcement, 63% of Texans want more police officers on the street, and 58% of Texans want their local police force budget to be increased. (Source: TexasPoliceFacts.com)
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